Secrets Unheard
by Joy Goldenpine
Summary: They thought they knew everything about the shadow, prided themselves because Kuroko smiled only for them. One shattering revelation later, everyone is plunged into a violent sea of regret and angst as they race against the unknown to save the one who saved them. (Mostly Kagami and Akashi-ccentric in more recent chapters)
1. Chapter 1

There were secrets that were better off shared than holed up inside someone like a slowly ticking time bomb. Then there were some things were meant to be kept in the dark. The GoM and Kagami found that out the hard way.

Kuroko walked off of the Seirin High School grounds, ready to enjoy the long break stretched in front of him. Not to mention the breather from basketball and the pressure of games constantly around the corner.

"KUROKOCCHI!"

Out of habit, the short athlete stepped aside and watched as his friend dove head-first into the pavement.

"Hello, Kise-kun," he deadpanned, oblivious to the cries of pain issuing from the blonde. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see Kurokocchi, of course!" Kise smiled happily and again, Kuroko was reminded of an over-energized dog. "For the first time in forever, the modeling agency finally let me have a break, so I decided to spend the first day of spring break with you!"

"What do you want to do, then?" Kuroko asked, pulling Kise to his feet. "I was actually going to meet up with Kagami-kun, so if you are okay with that..."

"Of course!" Kise chirped. "I've always wanted to hang out with Kagamicchi! Ooh," Kise closed his eyes and clenched his teeth bracingly. "Actually, that may not be so good..."

"Why not?"

"Ah!" Kise yelped. "You may not like this, but everyone actually got together to celebrate the end of out first year of highschool! (A/N: In Japan, there are three breaks from school, summer break, winter break, and spring break between school years.) So I hope it doesn't interfere with anything, it being so last minute."

"It's fine," Kuroko said with a smile as Kise cheered animatedly. "I just hope that there won't be too much conflict between the two Lights."

"That'll just make it more fun!" Kise chirped, grabbing Kuroko's arm and bouncing away with him in tow.

* * *

Nostalgia was a common side-affect of hanging out with the Generation of Miracles. Sometimes, Kuroko was happy. Other times, he was sad.

Today, he was just tired.

"I bet I could take you in a one-on-one!"

"Hah! As if, Bakagami!"

"THE HELL DID YOU CALL ME?"

Kagami had not been pleased when Kuroko had showed up with a hyper Kise in tow, even less so when he learned of the unplanned gathering of all his strongest opponents. When Aomine arrived, the two Lights immediately hit it off with the challenges and name calling. Eventually, everyone arrived, and it was exactly as Kuroko remembered them. Midorima carrying some obscure object in his taped fingers and pretending and failing to look uninterested. Then Akashi and Murasakibara arrived, the giant hovering behind the point guard like some sort of protective bodyguard. The group started walking in some silently agreed on direction, Kuroko getting incresingly agitated with the two ace's bickering.

"YOUR LIGHT IS TOO WEAK! YOU-Ow!"

Aomine and Kagami both let out cries of pain in unison and glared down at Kuroko, rubbing their sides where the shadow had jabbed them in the ribs.

"What was that for?!"

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko deadpanned with an irritated expression on his face. "What if our senpais had your attitude? The way you are acting is not very prideful. It is like watching a child argue about the turn on a swing." Kagami grimaced and scratched his head bashfully.

"Why am I the only one being nagged on?"

"And Aomine-kun," Kuroko went on as though Kagami hadn't said anything. "If you nurse a vengeance by yelling taunts at your rival, you'll never beat him. Can I ask, have you been the second door lately?"

As the dark-skinned teen spluttered indignantly, Kuroko looked away. He didn't enjoy opening old wounds since it hurt him as much as it did the others. He was thankfully when Kagami burst out laughing. Kuroko could always count on his Light, on and off the court.

"So why are we heading to the convenience store?"

Everyone stared at Kuroko with surprise then realized that they were indeed on a familiar road. They had thought they were just wandering aimlessly around Tokyo, but by some unconscious whim, they were walking to the convenience store that the Teiko regulars had so often celebrated at. Kise laughed.

"That's to be expected, I guess," he rambled. "We always celebrated there, didn't we?"

"Remember when Kise-kun got admitted to the first-string?" Kuroko smiled. "We stopped a purse snatcher."

"Ha! Kise looked so weirded out!" Aomine snorted.

"I'm not surprised," Kagami interjected. "When I first met you guys, I wondered why the Generation of Miracles were so weird. OW! Again?!"

"I do not appreciate being called weird, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said, his hand outstretched menacingly. "It makes it sound like you're not."

"But you're not part of the Generation of Miracles," Kagami said before Kuroko punched him. "You're Kuroko Tetsuya of Seirin, right? ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU TOLD ME?"

The GoM watched in amusement as Kuroko and Kagami argued with each other. One could tell how much the other knew about his friend, how close their trust was. As if on cue, the atmosphere in the rainbow heads became sad.

"It's kinda like us back in middle school," Aomine commented sullenly.

"I wish," Kise muttered, though it didn't go unheard by the other four who agreed wholeheartedly with what the blonde said next, "things could go back to the way they were."

* * *

Yup, well, this is turning into an angst-y kinda story.

Shit.

Well, hope you guys like it! I'll try to update my other fics, but I've been really busy this past week and then this fic got accidentally erased so I couldn't post this one quickly.

Anyway, thanks!

-Kurotaku63


	2. Chapter 2

It's been a while since I've updated, but that's because I've been working on my other fic. Sorry for all of you who followed this one!

Enjoy~

* * *

Aomine was doubled over, panting for air and letting the sweat drip off of his face and onto the floor. The rain outside had stopped, but he still wanted to stay in the gym. He had entered the Zone, even though he was alone, and was testing to see how far his stamina would go. But it felt like no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't sink any further. At this rate he would never see the second door.

 _Dammit, where's that stupid...?_

"Dai-chan!"

The dark-skinned teen started and looked around to the doors of the gym where his childhood friend was standing, holding a soaking umbrella. Her expression was contorted with concern.

"What do you want, Satsuki?"

"Why're you here so late?" she demanded, closing her umbrella and shooting water droplets everywhere. "Just a few weeks ago, you didn't even come to practice!"

"Well, how am I supposed to beat Kagami if I can't enter the second door?" Aomine growled, retrieving the basket ball near the boundary line. "Could you leave me alone? I'm trying to concentrate." He pressed his forehead against the leather of the ball only to find his concentration slipping.

 _Shit. It's the time limit._

"You're pushing yourself too hard!" Aomine felt the ball leave his hands suddenly and found Momoi standing in front of him, her hands on her hips like an angry mother. "It's been like this ever since the game against Seirin!" Aomine tugged the ball away from Momoi and turned away, his body quaking from exhaustion and suppressed emotion. He could feel it coming...

"Is this about middle school?"

"OF COURSE IT IS!" Aomine yelled, throwing the ball to the ground where it rebounded into the hoop, despite him not being in the Zone anymore. "What else would it be?! Dammit, every time I play basketball, all I can see is that stupid redhead with my shadow, fist-bumping. And then Tetsu just had to be the one in front of the second door! He just _had_ to be the gatekeeper to the Zone that relies solely on team play!" The dark-skinned teen was letting all his bottled up anger and emotion out in one short blast, and the relief was so overwhelming that he started to cry. His knees finally gave out and he fell to the ground, trembling.

"Dai-?"

"It can never go back, things can never be the same again," Aomine gasped. "But I just want it to be like that, I want it so bad!"

Momoi knelt next to her friend and whipped away his tears with her hands. Then she pulled him into a hug.

"I know," she whispered. "I know it hurts."

"I j-just want to be the one he believes in," Aomine sobbed. "I want to be the one he believes will make the final shot. I want to be his light again!"

And they sat there, the pink-haired beauty holding her childhood friend while he cried, on the polished floor of the basketball court.

"I WANT HIM TO FORGIVE ME!"

* * *

"Aomine-kun? Your ice-bar is melting."

Aomine looked up from where he had been staring and saw that Kuroko had magically gone from his place by Kagami to the space in front of him. He yelped and jumped a good few feet in the air.

"Could you just appear normally?!"

"I did appear normally," Kuroko deadpanned. "You just didn't see me."

They were at the convenience store, eating ice-bars that had cost little more than a hundred yen. It was all the same, except for the fact that they had another redhead in their ranks and that Kuroko was standing next to him instead of Aomine.

"Gah," Aomine grunted and bit into his frozen treat. "You must a pain in the ass for your parents."

"..."

"Neh, Kuro-chin~" Murasakibara said, tapping the blunette on the shoulder. "Do you have the rest of the ice-bars?"

Kuroko handed the box to the giant wordlessly and returned to his place by Kagami.

"...I usually try not to get in my parents' way, Aomine-kun," Kuroko said, finishing the last of his ice-bar with unnecessary force. "We don't agree on a lot of things and they don't appreciate my views."

"Eh?" Kise asked, his eyes widening by a fraction. "Why?"

Kuroko had obviously not been expecting all the attention to be turned onto him; even Midorima was listening, albeit he was trying to pretend not to.

"It's nothing," Kuroko said, trying to deflect the attention away. "I guess I annoy them at times."

"I'd understand that," Kagami said, smirking a little. "Because you always irk me."

"Whoa~Kaga-chin knows such complex words."

"OI!"

"I am certainly surprised that your vocabulary is that expansive, nanodayo."

"I'm not that stupid!"

An argument blew up, taking the attention away from Kuroko. He seemed relieved and went over to his partner to stop him from yelling in public. But Aomine could tell just by looking at his former shadow how different his stride was, how the atmosphere around him was still tense.

 _I'm going to see what this is about,_ Aomine thought determinedly. _I was a jerk in the past. If I can help Kuroko in any way possible maybe..._ He set off to pull Kagami off of Kuroko who had seemed to provoke the redhead's anger towards him. Kuroko smiled at Aomine adn then turned back to Kagami. Aomine stared at the back of his former partner and bit back tears.

 _...maybe he'll forgive me._

* * *

 **Oh my gosh, finally! I had this MAJOR writers' block, then I couldn't get on my computer to type, and then I closed the window without saving and had to start all over again. I finally got this chapter out!**

 **I feel so proud of myself.**

 **Yup, this is definitely an angst; no doubt about it.**

 **Thanks!**

 **-Joy Goldenpine**

 _.._


	3. Chapter 3

"Hah. So even Kurokocchi can be a bit of a clutz sometimes."

Kagami facepalmed in response. The other four were just stood there with looks of incredulity and exasperation of their faces. Just moments before, Kuroko had gotten a phone call and had left at top speed, apologizing for the inconvenience of the timing. He had left a contrail behind him and his wallet.

"Eh, someone has to go return it to him," Aomine sighed, stating the obvious like the idiot he was. "I can do it."

"No, I can!" Kise chirped, immediately earning him death glares. "I've _always_ wanted to see Kurokocchi's house..."

"Don't argue about who has to return a wallet," Midorima reprimanded. "Just give it to someone."

"I'll do it," Akashi said, scissors appearing in his hands magically. "And anyone who defies me will die."

"I'D DIE FOR KUROKOCCHI!" Kise screamed, snatching the wallet off the ground and sprinting off in the direction he saw Kuroko go in.

 _Shit, I'm so going to die later,_ Kise thought to himself, grimacing. He looked at the wallet and opened it: inside was a picture of his beloved mentor and his address. Kise smiled brightly and began to stride in the direction of Kuroko's house.

"OH MY GOSH, IT'S KISE!"

"KISE! NOTICE ME!"

The blonde swerved around and panicked at the sight of a hoard of fangirls running towards him. He took off at a sprint.

 _Looks like I'm going to be delayed._

* * *

"So Kurokocchi lives here," Kise said, checking the house with the address printed inside the wallet. He had finally shook off his fans with a cleverly pulled off stunt (He had jumped behind a garbage can) His shirt was pulled and wrinkled in some places, but otherwise he had gotten away unharmed. He turned to observe the house in front of him, still panting slightly. It was very small and rustic, a single-story house with bronze-green shingles on the roof. There were trees growing from beneath rocks and in the corner, Kise could see a plum tree overshadowing the yard. "How very humble."

Kise jumped up onto the wooden patio which groaned under his weight. He raised his hand to knock on the shoji (A/N: Japanese sliding doors. A very traditional look that goes along with the tatami mats.) when he became aware of the muffled shouts coming from inside the house.

"...father."

 _What?!_ Kise yelled in his mind, putting his ear against the thin paper door. _Kurokocchi is talking to his dad?_

"We just got your grades back, Tetsuya," a man's voice said, every syllable undertoned with anger. "Do you think that you can get into a good college with this?"

"Father..."

"Is _this_ the result of our son?!"

 _SLAP._

Kise recoiled entirely from the door with his hands clamped onto his ears. He stared at the door, eyes wide. A woman's voice joined the fray, just as angry as the man's.

"We let you play basketball, Tetsuya, and this is how you repay us?" she screeched. "You're so weak so there's no possible way that you can go on to play for any schools, and you don't even intend to go and pursue basketball! Basketball was so that you could make friends...and they abandoned you."

Kise could hear the relish in the woman's voice and it disgusted him; it was as though she took pleasure in reopening old wounds and rubbing salt into them. However, amidst his boiling anger, his stomach was knotted with guilt.

"Those 'friends' of yours back in middle school left you haven't they? We were glad when you quit basketball; finally some time for you to focus on your academics! But then..."

There was a brief pause in which the only sound Kise could hear was his own erratic heartbeat. Then he heard a sound that resembled hitting someone's head against wood.

"YOU JUST NEVER GIVE UP, DO YOU?"

 _Bang. Bang. Bang._

 _"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO..."_

 _Bang. Bang. Bang._

 _"..WHEN THEY BACKSTAB YOU AGAIN?"_

The banging ceased and again the sound of his heart filled his ears. When the voice started talking again, Kise had to strain to hear them.

"We just want to protect you, Tetsuya."

"...Yes, father."

"We don't want you to experience anymore pain."

"Yes, mother."

"That's better," the man said, his voice returning to normal volume although it was still agitated. "You understand that I only want what's best for you, right Tetsuya?"

"Yes."

Kise couldn't believe his ears. This wasn't what he was expecting to find at his mentor's house at all. Kuroko's parents were abusing him...Kise couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around it; Kuroko never so much as showed it on his face, much more ever said anything about it.

 _"I try to keep out of my parents' way."_

So that's what Kuroko had meant! Kise reached out to knock on the door, ready to get Kuroko out of his parents' range but then thought better of it. If he just barged in, it would give away that he had been listening in on their conversation. Calming down, but his ears still ringing, Kise walked back to the street, brushed his clothes off and waited a good few minutes before he strode back to the door and left the wallet on the door step. Probably not the best move, but at the moment, Kise's thoughts were so scattered he couldn't think of a better solution. Once he was back on the street, he pulled out his phone.

 _Aominecchi? Is the group still together?_

Kise got the response back fairly quickly which surprised him. So Aomine read his texts but just never responded to them. He should put more urgency in his texts from now on.

 _Yeah. Why? Did something happen?_

 _Keep everyone there I need to tell you guys something._

Kise sent the text, and then thinking that Midorima might not think it worth his time to listen to Kise, he added:

 _It's about Kurokocchi._

* * *

 ***No author's note***


	4. Chapter 4

Domo, minna-san! I'm currently on vacation, but I was allowed to bring my laptop and since I love you guys so much (I live off of your reviews) I decided to update this a little sooner than I planned on doing.

Here we go~

* * *

 _Letter of resignation._

 _The captain just stared down at the simple white paper enveloped, the black letters printed on the top, dark and pointy and mocking. The hum of the air conditioner faded into the loud ringing in his ears; he had done what he had thought would be best for the team, so why was it like this? Why had he, the absolute, lost his ultimate trump card?_

 _Because he hadn't just lost an asset in a basketball game, he had lost Kuroko, his friend, his awesome and beautiful friend who he should've listened to, should've found that third option. But now it was too late._

 _Akashi took the flimsy paper into his hand and tore it in two. He turned around to walk out of the room and found his vision obscured and his eyes burning. He squeezed his eyes until they hurt and his knees gave out under him._

 _Just an asset on the court..._

* * *

Akashi was strong; anyone who argued otherwise was stupid. But it was in skill and mental strenght that he really shone. When it came to physical capabilities, he came up a bit short of competing with Aomine.

"I'M GONNA BEAT THE LIVING _CRAP_ OUT OF THOSE ADULTS..."

The redhead strained to keep the ace from running to commit a serious crime against humanity. Kise was backed up against the wall, as if afraid Aomine would attack him although, knowing the dark-skinned teen, it probably wasn't out of reason.

"Aominecchi, I know you're mad," Kise said, sweat glistening on his brow. "But just calm down."

"HOW CAN YOU-?"

"Oi, Aomine," Kagami growled, his own anger apparent, or maybe because he was holding an enraged Murasakibara around the waist who was muttering, "I'll crush them... _I'll crush them..."_. "Can you just shut up for Kuroko's sake? You're not the only one here who cares about him." (A/N: Harry Potter reference for all y'all who get it!) Seirin's ace turned back to Kise with surpressed malice on his face. "And you just _left?_ "

"Think for a minute, Kagami," Midorima interjected, his hand trembling as he pushed his glasses up, not bothering to hide his true thoughts like he normally did. "If Kise had just barged in, it would've seemed like he had been eavesdropping, and if he even hinted on that, then it would give Kuroko's parents more of an excuse to use us as a means of abuse."

"Okay, okay," Kagami grumbled grudginly, nearly losing hold on Murasakibara. "Oi! Just stand still, alright?"

"I want to _crush_ them..."

"Calm down, Murasakibara," Akashi commanded, deciding it was safe enough to let go of Aomine. "We'll think about what to do next logically, not instinctively." Akashi glanced at their surroundings; their shouting had already attracted a lot of attention from passerbys, not a situation they could discuss the subject at hand. "Let's move from here, people are staring."

"Akashi, we've gotta do something now!" Aomine yelled, causing even more people to stop. "The longer we wait, the more Tetsu gets hurt! _Don't you care about what happens to him?"_

 _Care?_

Akashi whipped out his phone and sent a text to Momoi who responded immediately.

 _Research Tetsu-kun's parents? Why?_

The redhead considered the screen for a moment, weighing the improtance of telling Momoi about Kuroko's abusive parents over preserving the girl's feelings.

 _I was just curious._

Hoping the lame excuse would sufice, Akashi pocketed his phone and glared down Aomine. After several moments, Aomine sighed and slumped against the front of the convenience store grimly.

 _How should I approach this?_ Akashi thought, trying to formulate a plan with everyone staring at him. _Parents don't take nicely to being apposed, so marching up to Kuroko's house is out of the question. Right now, we just need to get Kuroko out of his parents hands as soon as possible._

"Kagami," Akashi said slowly, making the other redhead start at being addressed so suddenly. "I need you to contact Kuroko and keep him at your house."

"What?" Kagami asked startled. This feeling was shared by the rest of the GoM.

"I want to keep Kurokocchi at my house!"

"Why that idiot?"

"Think about it!" Akashi snapped, his feelings getting the better of him. Inside of him, the anger that had been ignited when he had first heard the news suddenly exploded. "Your friend is being abused! This is a crime against human rights, how can you suggest your own personal wants while someone else is in even greater need?"

"But..."

* * *

 _How could everyone keep on practicing like their valued team member hadn't just quit? The starting members had only gave a little hum of acknowledgment before going back to endlessly practcing threes, practicing dunks, practicing dribbling skills. The captain observed everyone, wondering how he had ever let his team go so far astray as to no longer care about basketball. Hadn't it been Kuroko who had asked gone on about teammwork? Akashi had ignored it and now here he was, reaping his reward._

 _Did he want to be beaten? Finally taste the one thing that seperated the others from him. At the moment, it seemed like a nice option. Maybe then Kuroko would come back, because it hadn't been basketball that had kept Akashi going after his mother's death._

 _It had been his friends._

* * *

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT YOU! IT'S ABOUT TETSUYA!"

Silence followed his outburst, everyone staring at him again. Akashi fought to keep ontop of his alternate identity and turned away.

"Can you do it, Kagami?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Good," Akashi said, starting to walk away. "Because we lost Kuroko once, we're not letting someone else take him away."

Akashi walked towards the train station and jumped onto the next train to Kyoto, pulling out his phone as he did so; how many laws were Kuroko's parents breaking right now? If Akashi couldn't approach the parents in person, getting the police or their bosses at work to investigate wouldn't be as satisfying, but at least they were getting Kuroko out of his parents hands. And as for getting his say, that could be taken care of using his influence.

"Good evening, Seijuro-san," the maid greeted a Akashi stepped into his house/mansion. "Your father has left you with three books to read over the break and says he expects nothing less of you once you have become a second-year."

"Hai," Akashi responded respectfully. "Please tell him that I will also be pursuing a research project this summer along with my extra-curriculars."

"Hai, Seijuro-san."

Akashi entered his room and stripped off his uniform (A/N: OH MY GOSH, AKASHI HALF-NAKED *WORDS THAT CANNOT EXPRESS MY FANGIRLING*) He put on a tanktop with basketball shorts that could only be worn behind his closed door and opened his laptop, bringing up a blank page and started to write down his findings from the train.

It wasn't until sometime early in the morning that Akashi stopped typing and looked at the pages of research he had conducted in the past few hours. He knew what it felt like to be pressured and cracked by parents, so no matter what he did, it never seemed to be enough.

 _Kuroko,_ Akashi thought, pulling up another page of cases where the kid was abused by their parents. _You've taught me so many things. I am glad I came to know you and could play basketball with you. So that's why, if I can help in, I will not let you go again!_

And Akashi fell asleep, falling into dreams where large black letters sprung large inky spikes, creating a wall between him and Kuroko who was being dragged away in screams of pain.

* * *

Hope I got Akashi's personality right; I should probably go back and watch the anime again to get a good grasp on the Generation of Miracles and all the characters again.

Should I bring Seirin into this?

Getting back from my vacation tomorrow! The heat's been freakin' terrible, don't know what I would do without my computer. And I'm also finishing this at 11 at night, so sorry if there are any mistakes or the whole chapter seems choppy.

See ya!

~Joy Goldenpine


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, all my fellow KnB-centrics! (If that's even a thing)**

 **I was hoping that I could leave the Kagami chapter (Because, I'm sure you've noticed, I'm alternating between characters to highlight their different relationships with Kuroko) for second to last, but well, here it is, in the fifth spot.**

 **Very slight KagaKuro anyone?**

* * *

His fingertips burned; the bottoms of his feet were screaming for relief; he could barely get breath into his lungs. But he couldn't stop, couldn't stop over-exerting his body because Kagami Taiga was the instinctive one, the one who expressed his emotions through actions.

And he had never been so angry at two human beings in his life.

The hoop groaned as he jammed the ball in; it was a sheer miracle that he hoop held onto the backboard. With every _boom clap_ of the ball, Kagami hoped that his anger would boil away. It wasn't so, as it seemed that the longer he was on his feet, the more enraged he became.

"Gah," Kagami grunted, his legs finally giving out beneath him and he fell next to the net where he had laid his bag. It was good that it was late evening; any earlier, and Kagami would've died on the spot. His head wouldn't calm down; ever since the gathering had broken up two hours ago, his mind hadn't made a single rational thought, all of them vaguely along the lines of, _'Crush them.'_ He fumbled with his bag and then cursed, finding that he had left his water bottle back at his apartment.

"Kagami-kun, here."

The redhead yelled and jumped to his feet, finding Kuroko standing behind him, staring at his partner with innocently wide eyes. He was holding out a water bottle which reminded Kagami as to why he was here in the first place: he had to (essentially) capture Kuroko and keep him away from his parents. And inviting the basketball maniac to play streetball was Kagami's fail-proof way of doing so.

"Can't you just appear normally?" Kagami sighed, more to himself than to Kuroko, knowing what the response would be. He took the bottle and raised it to his lips when his eyes fell on the ugly bruise standing out magnificently against Kuroko's pale skin.

"Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked, breaking the ace out of his stupor. He lowered the bottle, even though he was parched.

"What happened to you?"

"This?" Kuroko muttered, lifting his bangs to reveal a sight that made Kagami visibly cringe: the bruise extended further up his forehead, scabbed over with tiny flakes of dried up blood stuck to the baby blue hair. "I fell."

"Fell, huh?" Kagami said, struggling to keep the sudden flair in anger down. How, _how,_ could someone inflict this on his partner? On the most important person to ever enter his life? "You didn't clean this up, did you?" Kagami sighed, reaching out and gently brushing the dried blood off. "What'll you do if this get's infected? And why did you even come to play basketball if you could have a concussion?"

"Mother hen, Kagami Taiga," Kuroko deadpanned much to the indignation of Kagami. His hand closed tightly around Kuroko's bangs. "Ow."

"Ah! S-Sorry," stammered Kagami, letting go of the locks. "I just-um..."

"Kagami-kun, are you angry?"

The redhead gave a start and shook his head eagerly. For a moment, Kagami sweated under the inquisitorial gaze of his friend who gave a small smile.

"Whenever you feel like telling me the truth, I'm here," Kuroko said, picking up the ball that Kagami had let roll onto the ground. He dribbled it, once, twice, then shot and missed.

"You idiot," Kagami sighed, grinning as he grabbed the ball. "At least make it if you're going to shoot."

"Hai."

 _Actually, this is the place where we really met, isn't it?_ Kagami thought as he dunked the ball, forgetting his previous fatigue. He laughed, remembering how pathetic he had thought Kuroko was at basketball. _At lot has changed and yet..._ Kuroko again went for the shot and missed. _...nothing has._

"Kuroko, are you sure you're okay playing with that injury?"

"Of course," Kuroko reassured. "I played during the Kaijo game with something similar to this, didn't I?"

 _Where you being abused back then too?_

Kagami took the water bottle and poured some liquid onto a towel. He grabbed Kuroko and dabbed firmly at the blood.

"Let's get this cleaned up properly later." Kagami threw the dirty towel away. "We can go to my house. I've to some things there."

 _How long could I have done something to help?_

Kuroko mused on the thought while absentmindedly dribbling the basketball then said, "Hai."

"Hey," Kagami said, trying to lighten the mood. "What'll we do if our starter keeps getting head injuries and goes out to play like it's nothing? We're counting on you."

 _And I want you to be able to count on me. Every time..._ Kuroko laughed silently and pressed the leather of the ball against Kagami's chest, transmitting unspoken words of trust. The rare smile on Kuroko's face was beautiful, one that wasn't used unnecessarily so that the emotions were much richer, the meaning, so much more jarring.

 _...you are amazing. So this time, I want you to lean on me. I want to know what I didn't do that made you distrust this secret from me._

Kuroko threw the ball close to the hoop and Kagami instinctively jumped, caught, and jammed the ball in.

 _We are partners, aren't we?_

* * *

"It doesn't hurt, does it?"

Kuroko only winced in response. Kagami sighed and threw yet another bloodied cotton swab into the trash bin, readying another with rubbing alcohol. Outside, the sun was setting. Kagami had insisted Kuroko come to his house, half because he needed to follow Akashi's orders, and also because he didn't trust Kuroko to treat to wound properly himself.

"We can get Midorima to check out if you have a concussion or whatever," Kagami muttered, more to himself than to Kuroko. "He's striving to become a doctor, right?"

Kuroko nodded as he watched Kagami unroll a few inches of gauze and start to wrap it around the circumference of his head. He pushed back his bangs so Kagami could do it neatly.

"I was thinking about getting my hair cut," Kuroko said, fingering a tendril of hair. "It's starting to get in my way."

"You could ponytail it like Murasakibara-kun."

Kagami had meant this as a joke, but seeing Kuroko stop and think about it, he hastily added, "I'm kidding!"

He finished wrapping the gauze and leaned back to admire his handiwork. He glanced at the clock and found that it was getting late.

"You wanna stay for dinner?" he asked, standing up and looking down at Kuroko. "It's nearly that time."

"Um, my parents want me back by nine," Kuroko said tentatively. "I don't know if..."

"Don't worry so much!" Kagami exclaimed, heading over to the kitchen. "It'll be fine."

Kagami put a pan on the stove and turned on the heat. While he waited for the pan to heat up, he pulled out his phone to find a text from Akashi. Not bothering to even wonder how the fuck Akashi managed to get his phone number, Kagami read his text:

 _I'm assuming you've already gotten Kuroko out of his house. From here, I will use my father's influence to demote them from their jobs and get the police to investigate upon the multiple laws they are breaking._

Reading through the text a few times, Kagami had initially felt relieved at the formulation of a plan, but was starting to get angry again.

 _But what about out say?_

Kagami sent the text and immediately got an answer back saying: _It's just impossible. Our opinions won't contribute to helping Kuroko at all._

Remembering Akashi's sudden outburst the other day, Kagami had to agree that just yelling at Kuroko's parents wouldn't help shit. But still...

"Here."

Twenty minutes later, Kagami set a plate of stir-fry in front of Kuroko and dumped the rest of the pan's contents onto his own plate next to a mountain of rice. Kuroko stared at the mounds of food in front of him.

"Kagami-kun, surely this is not healthy."

"You're one to talk," Kagami sighed, pointing with his chopsticks at the normal-sized helping that had shrunk in comparison to his. "I bet you're not even going to finish that."

"I'm not a gluten, Kagami-kun."

"Geez!" Kagami burst out, deciding not to expand upon his point as it would most likely go nowhere, as arguing with Kuroko normally did.

"Thank you for the food," Kuroko declared at began to eat. He bent his neck to eat and for a brief moment, Kagami could see the curve of his neck clearly; the curve of the neck that was covered in cuts and bruises.

 _Who...Who could possibly do something so utterly **disgusting** and **inhumane** to Kuroko...? _

"Kagami-kun?"

His chopsticks had fallen to the floor, but he didn't care; Kagami reached across the table and pulled back the collar of Kuroko's shirt, showing more and more tiny cuts and scrapes. The ace's burning red eyes found the blue, suddenly afraid.

"What is this?" Kagami asked in a gruff voice, struggling to keep himself from yelling. "How did this happen to you?"

"I bruised myself," Kuroko said meekly. It was the lame excuse that sparked Kagami's fury.

 _Do you not trust me?_ _Even though we're partners?_

 _Even though we're friends?_

"WHAT ARE YOUR PARENTS DOING TO YOU, KUROKO?" Kagami yelled, pulling Kuroko's shirt over his head, expecting to see even more wounds. Thankfully, there were none except for the ones under Kuroko's jaw. He threw the shirt to the floor and grabbed Kuroko's tiny bare shoulders pleadingly. "What is this Kuroko?! What-?!"

"Kagami-kun, how do you know?"

"How do I know?" Kagami repeated, nearly bursting into laughter. " _How do I know? Well, it's certainly not because you told me, Kuroko! I had to find out from someone else and even he didn't know, you're closest friends, Kuroko! Why do you not trust us?"_

"Kagami-kun, please stay out of this..."

"HOW-?!"

"Kagami-kun, I won't ask exactly how you found out about this," Kuroko said, regaining some of his monotone, staring evenly into Kagami's eyes. "But please know that I have my reasons for keeping this a secret. And it's not because I don't trust you," Kuroko added as Kagami opened his mouth to interrupt. "It's something I have to do myself."

"Why-" Kagami breathed in deeply to regain any composure he could muster and let go of Kuroko's shoulders, little red crescents embedded into the white skin where Kagami's nails had dug in. "Why, Kuroko? Why is this something that I can't help you with?"

"Because I'm afraid," Kuroko answered quietly, making Kagami lose his train of thought. He'd never known his shadow to be afraid; he didn't know what Kuroko's parents looked like, but if Kuroko was their son, then they couldn't be all that tall, and Kuroko had certainly stood up to people much taller and much stronger than him. What kind of monsters have been raising him?

"Afraid?"

"I don't want my parents to take away basketball," Kuroko muttered, reminding Kagami of a lost child. "They think that it's something that I shouldn't be doing. They don't want me to socialize with anyone."

"Is it because of the Miracles?"

"It's..." Kuroko hesitated, averting his eyes. "It's something worse than that."

"What could be worse than abandoning your friend just because of basketball?"

Kuroko shook his head, much to Kagami's frustration although he didn't lash out. He realized just how bad a position Kuroko was in: something was tying him to his parents, the same parents who were abusing him and inflicting emotional pain on him every day. And he couldn't ask for help, in fear of losing the one thing he loved more than anything.

"But you can't defend that this isn't wrong."

Again, Kuroko reluctantly shook his head, making strangled sounds like he was choking on what words to say, on how to express his inner turmoil.

"Kuroko, let us help."

"I-"

"Your parents don't need to know. Besides," Kagami said, bending down to pick up his chopsticks. "It's okay so long as they don't know it's not the Miracles, right? Just let me help, Kuroko."

"Could I get my shirt back first?"

Kagami started and realized he'd basically stripped his friend half-naked in his fit of fury. Sheepishly, he retrieved the shirt and gave it back to Kuroko who put it on gratefully.

"Kuroko, please stay."

Kuroko raised a hand to his forehead and felt the gauze, fingering it like he was deep in thought.

"Trust me."

A minute passed by; it could've been hours, it certainly felt like it to Kagami. Then finally:

"I'll stay. I trust you, Kagami-kun."

* * *

 **asdjfasdjf'lasjk School letters just came out and my friend won't answer me so I don't know if she's on my team or not adkfja'sdkfj'askjdf'kalsjdf'kasfd'.**

 **Okay, enough bitching, Joy!**

 **I got an account on AO3, so anyone who wants to go check that out, I'm called, 'Joyous_Golden_Flower'**

 **I'm so weird.**

 **Geez, this chapter sucks. Sorry for an extra long chapter of choppy scenes that don't mesh together.**

 **See ya!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I am so sorry about the late update, I've really got no excuse except maybe I had no ideas for Midorima's chapter. But! here it is, after a long wait.**

 **Enjoy~**

* * *

 _"Mother, father, I want to become a doctor."_

 _His parents stared incredulously at their son, shock visible in every crevice of their face. Midorima stared back evenly, wanting to make his intentions clear once and for all. In the corner of his eye, Midorima saw his little sister peeking through the doorway, a smile on her face. A little more confidence welled in the shooter and he pressed on._

 _"I know that you want me to become successful, but this is something that I really want to do," explained Midorima, taking advantage of his parents' momentary silence. "Even though it will be difficult, I am willing to take this risk."_

 _"Shintaro," his father said slowly, the man's voice calm and calculating. "You know that I tried an failed to pursue that path of life. If you are trying to do this to fulfill my dream, then please don't bother yourself with it."_

 _"I wish to do this of my own accord."_

 _"What about basketball?" his mother chimed in, her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. "Don't you want to pursue that? You are prodigiously talented, part of many well-known schools! Why would you want to go after something else?"_

 _"I do love basketball," Midorima replied. "But I want to be able to help people in the future. Even though it was indirectly, I helped my friend find motivation in his basketball and I it made me feel good. If I can make a living of helping others, that is what I want to do."_

 _"Even though the path will be rough?"_

 _"Hai."_

 _There was a silence in which Midorima's parents looked at one another, exchanging a conversation that only old married couples like themselves could have in just a mere glance. Midorima became increasingly agitated. Would they not accept his wishes?_

 _"Alright."_

 _Finally his parents had spoken. Midorima felt his chest loosen from the tension and expand with joy. He fought to keep his face in the expression of indifference but couldn't help a smile._

 _"If that's what you want, then we shall respect your wishes."_

 _Midorima nodded vigorously, feeling like all the strength in his entire 195 cm body had left him._

 _"Thank you."_

 _He barely made it back to the door where his sister sat waiting before he collapsed with relief against the wall. His sister beamed up at him._

 _"Way to go, Shin-nii!"_

 _Midorima smiled at her; his little sister was the only one who could pull out such an expression of happiness from him._

 _"Our parents aren't so bad, are they?"_

* * *

"Shin-chan? Neh, _Shin-chan!_ "

Midorima snapped from his stupor, reminding himself of where he was at the moment: sitting in a library with his partner across from him, slumped over his open textbooks and school papers, staring up at the eccentric shooter with subdued grey eyes. Takao poked his pencil eraser at Midorima and pushed up his glasses for him.

"What are you doing, spacing out?" Takao asked, his arm dropping. "I don't get any of this, Shin-chan. Help mee!"

"I would be able, if you weren't laying over all the paper," Midorima snapped, reaching for his glasses but stopped as they were already as far up as they would go. Takao grinned triumphantly and sat up. Midorima lifted his pencil and looked at the problems they were supposed to be completing for math class. Takao wasn't lying, whatever answer he had next to the problem was so wrong that it was almost impossible.

"If you just..."

"No, but seriously," Takao said, going so abruptly into his serious mode that Midorima blinked a few times. "What's up? It's not like Shin-chan to space out."

Midorima let his pencil fall out of his hand and contemplated the boy sitting in front of him with wonder; since when had anyone taken to observing him? Well, Kuroko of course, but that was out of habit. Brushing that question aside, he pondered whether or not to tell Takao about Kuroko's problem, the one thing that had been plaguing his mind for days. In doing so, he would most likely infuriate Akashi, and anyone in their right mind never did that if they wanted to live a long and happy life. And what did Takao care about Kuroko? Although, it wasn't as though Midorima was the closest with Kuroko, it had always been Aomine and Kise.

"Well, I just told my parents about my future plans," Midorima said. "And they accepted it."

"That's good!" Takao said. "Man, and here I was all worried for Shin-chan if his parents wouldn't accept his plans."

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Heiki, heiki!" Takao said airily, waving it off. "It's just that...that's not the only thing that's on your mind, is it?"

Midorima started, his bluff being seen through by his observative friend. He twitched for a moment; he needed to tell someone about it, it had been weighing on his chest like a weight and his doubts about how much truth were behind Kise's words was amounting by the day. If his parents could let him go his way, then how could there possibly be something as evil as hitting your own child?

"We just found out a few days ago," Midorima said against his better judgment. "That Kuroko is being physically abused by his parents."

"WHAT?"

Takao stood up with sudden force, exclaiming indignantly. Midorima stared at his friend's reaction with surprise, taken aback by the sudden anger in the laughing face. "Wha-that can't be true!"

"I have a hard time believing it myself," Midorima admitted. "My parents are very strict, but they've never resorted to physical violence."

"No parent should do that!" Takao burst out. "It's pure evil! It's just shit!"

Having never heard Takao curse before, Midorima's shock increased tenfold. Takao seemed to notice the impact his words were having on Midorima and calmed down at once, although his anger did not wane.

"Do you know where Kuroko-kun lives?" Takao said. Midorima could not believe the strange turn of events: where were all these weird statements coming from?

"Yes, Akashi texted it to me a while back," Midorima answered slowly, hoping that Takao wasn't thinking what Midorima thought he was thinking. Unfortunately, he was right and Takao shoved all his school work into his bag and slung it on his shoulder.

"Let's go!"

"Wait, Takao!" Midorima hissed. "What are you doing?"

"I am going to confront Kuroko-kun's parents!" Takao said resolutely. "I'm not going to take this sitting down!"

"That's not a good idea!" Midorima argued. "His parents are probably going to angry at anyone who has a connection with Kuroko! And besides, we're already doing something about it!"

"I don't care," Takao said shortly. "We have to do something now!"

Unable to stop the point guard, Midorima merely consented to follow his friend outside the library, thinking that since Takao didn't know Kuroko's address, he couldn't do anything beyond storm outside where he couldn't bother anyone else. But to his astonishment and utter horror, Takao pulled out _Midorima's_ phone and started looking though his texts.

"Oi! How did you get that?!"

"Misdirection," Takao said simply and found Midorima's conversation with Akashi. "Okay, so here's the address..."

"Takao, stop!" Midorima shouted, making a desperate grab for his phone. "This isn't a good idea!"

"Of course it's not a good idea, but what else can we do?" Takao yelled. "C'mon, I don't know this dude very well, but I'm not going to have a bunch of stinkin' adults try and stop me from getting to know him better!"

Midorima was so baffled by this answer that he was rendered speechless. Takao took advantage of the silence and strut off, Midorima taking off after him but this time, with no intention to stop him. Takao was silly and carefree, but he wasn't stupid or unreasonable. Whatever he was doing, there was some sort of reason and Midorima was determined to find out.

"Wait, you're just going to knock on the door?"

"Well, how else am I supposed to do it?" Takao asked back. He looked at the shoji sliding door in front of him of the house they had just arrived at. "I'm surprised that you let me get this far."

"I'm not letting you go any further if I don't get an explanation!" Midorima said indignantly. "Why does this matter to you so much? You said yourself, you don't know Kuroko that well!"

"I could ask you the same thing," Takao shot back without turning around. "You don't particularly like Kuroko-kun, right? You always said you respected him, but you never really got along with him, so why are you helping him? Obligation of your shared pasts?"

"Of course not!" Midorima snapped. "I-I am grateful t-to Kuroko, because he...he helped me see...how much stronger a team is...when united."

"And that's why I'm reacting like this," Takao said. "Any person who can make Shin-chan say something like that deserves to be treated better than...than...than an animal."

Takao turned back to the door and raised his fist to knock but before his knuckles could make contact with the wood, the door slid open, revealing a man who was as short as the point guard. His hair held resemblance to Kuroko's, as it was the same shade of blue but the man was balding and there were streaks of grey marking the baby blue. However, that was the only way of telling that this man was related to Kuroko, as the boy usually had a polite and curious expression. The man was absolutely radiating fury.

"What are you two kids doing arguing on my front step?" he snapped, glaring from Takao to Midorima. "I'm trying to take a nap, and all of a sudden I hear high-pitched screaming coming from my door..."

 _Taking a nap?_ If what Akashi had told him was true, then Midorima would have assumed that this man was desperately searching for his son. Anger flared in him for the first time since he had first heard the news, and any hesitancy at attacking Kuroko's parents disappeared.

"Wait, you're one of those Miracle freaks!" the man snarled, pointing his finger accusingly at Midorima. "That horoscope maniac, or something..."

"We just wanted to know where Kuroko Tetsuya is," Takao said hurriedly. "Is he home?"

"I wasn't aware that my son gave his address to betrayers and strangers!" the man barked. "My son isn't home at the moment, and you shouldn't be anywhere near here!"

BANG!

Midorima and Takao just stared at where the man had stood, disappeared behind the shoji door. Takao looked towards Midorima, his eyes wide with shock.

"That was worse than I expected."

"Let's get out of here," Midorima suggested, walking quickly out onto the street with Takao close on his heels.

Midorima didn't know where he was going; his head was obscured with angry incomplete thoughts. He had heard of kids being abused under their parents' hand, but it had never really manifested itself to him as something that was real in his life. Now, after seeing the man and his uncaring nature, Midorima had no trouble believing such people existed and needed to do something, anything instead of just _walking_ around doing nothing.

"You said that you wanted to do something," was the first thing that Midorima said, stopping abruptly in front of a store. With a chill, he realized it was the same convenience store he had been to just a few days ago. "Now I understand why."

Midorima scanned the street, not looking for anything in particular, just doing it out of need for something to do. He waited for Takao's response but as it didn't come, Midorima looked down at his partner and found him staring at his feet, very un-Takao like behavior.

"Takao?"

"You know, in comparison to what we just saw," Takao muttered, so quietly that Midorima strained to hear what came next, "My problems sort of shrink in size, you know?"

"Ta-?"

"Let me honest with you, Shin-chan," Takao went on, still staring at the ground. "I've got experience with this sort of stuff."

"Wh-?!"

"My dad used to hit me a lot when I was a kid," Takao said, his eyes cloudy. "My mom had to go through the same thing, being his spouse, so whenever we were together, we would just laugh and pretend that we didn't have such a big shit in our lives. Kinda made the pain easier. But when my sister came along, we couldn't have her going through the same thing, so my mom took the two of us and ran to Tokyo. So of course," Takao concluded, staring directly into Midorima's eyes, and there wasn't anything cloudy in the vindictive look in his eyes. "If anyone has that sort of evil in their lives, I'm not going to take that. Even if it's in a life that's got nothing to do with me.

"Oh geez, don't say anything, Shin-chan!" Takao laughed, seeing the look on Midorima's face. "It's already awkward enough, but you see where I'm coming from now. Like, sort of a kindred spirit."

"But I see now," Midorima said. "That there are scum on this Earth and innocent people who suffer from it. We're going to do something about it, starting with Kuroko."

"You sounded like a superhero when you said that," Takao laughed. "Woohoo! Shin-chan and the Hawk!"

Midorima smiled slightly, not hiding it behind his hand as was the habit he was learning to break out of.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Well, it wouldn't sound cool and stuff!" Takao said as if it were extremely obvious.

"You know," Midorima said hesitantly. "If you ever need to talk to anybody...I'm here..."

"Shin-chan! Oh," Takao muttered irritably, taking Midorima's phone from his pocket, as he never gave it back. "Way to ruin the moment...it's from Akashi."

 _I need your help, Midorima. Please come to Kyoto ASAP._

"Akashi needs me in Kyoto," Midorima said. "I've got to go."

He started to leave when Takao grabbed his shirt. Midorima turned around and looked at the passion in his partner's face.

"I'm coming too."

The ready-made answer was about to come out of Midorima's mouth, 'No'. But then his rational thinking jumped out the window and he did something he would never have done had been a year ago, before he had lost and before he had met Takao: he made a decision based on his emotions. So much could changed in just a year; so much could be brought about by a single person.

"Let's go," Midorima said, tucking his phone in his pocket. "And see this problem that Akashi has."

* * *

 **Whoop!**

 **So school's been really dumb and I've had a lot of writing assignments that put me out of the grove for writing fics, but I finally did it!**

 **...and now I'm going to go curl up in a corner and cry. WHY, CRIT. LIT, WHY? (Jw, how many of you guys have critical lit in your curriculum?)**

 **Oh! And if this story isn't working out for you, like my pace is too slow or you've read too many fics with Kuroko Angst in it, then go check out Chaos Twin of Destruction's fic 'Silence is the Most Powerful Scream' an Akashi Angst. (I won't get offended. T_T)**

 **I'm watching Jaiden Animations right now, so ye my dialogue is going to be really weird. ;)**

 **No updates for a while, I'm too gassed. :(**

 **-Joy Goldenpine**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you guys for all the support! This story has hit over 100 followers!**

 **Imma put all your names here, just to honor these peeps.**

 **2Kay7,** **A Bad Escape,** **Aivythewaffle,** **Akakuro fan,** **Alana Fox,** **Alela04, Alice White -pg, Allen 14, AoHazuki, Aprilla Echizen, Archangel AMVs, Arucale, Asterbear, BBCLove, BabyNightmareLady, BlackAndWhiteRoseWolf, Bokasuka, Cafuchi, CaptainPanic, Caseo, Celestial-Dragon777, Chaos Twin of Destruction (Wussup gurl) Crystal3300, CrystalTori17, DJ Candy, DRAMAticallyYoursTruly, DeepDarkAbyss, Diana844, Emerald Lylythia, Foxluna, GoddessQueenSlay, GuardianWitchDemiGhost (the author of Shadow Trials Watching KnB, just thought i'd put that out there) HeartsAndMusics, Helena Light, HenkeXD, Hope10032, Jubi no Neko, Kazehana23, Kuroko Tetsuo, Kuroshiroryuu, Livelifewithasmile, Luna Valdez, Lura Elsworth, MJangelsakura, MayFeather, Mgrover, Minseokismyslut, NKM12, NeroAutore, No Naam, NomomoCutieXD, Nutelladdict, OtakuBroMelody, OtakuMafia, Penguinnn, Random fangirl 43, Ravenclaw667, Ryu-331, Sadistcutey, Saniwa, Scavenger cat, ShadowEmperor2031, Suzme Jun, .I' , Testinth3wat3rs, Tsingy-Me, WisdomWriter25, ainkyu, ais tya, akumajae94, anilikz0985, art-is-a-bang-yeah, asuna69, babyj1275, chachii06, claryyyy, derpyme, galia.78, julie2709, jzairwalker, kouraisouma, kudoshinichi1994, kyuzi4869, lilybean10, , mysticzephyra, otakushadow7, pendraco, plomieniefeniksa, pokes, raye0610, redskybluemoon, ruda102, shaliyaisthequeen12, slycat88, soel15, soundlessAria, tiger56761, tsundere-chan123, verday, xTsuizuru, xojadexo, yappsmin, yelkhomssi94**

 **If you found your names, three times as many thanks!**

 **(I'm not doing this again)**

* * *

Akashi stared at the piece of paper in his hands, one of many from the tiny stack of papers Momoi had composed for him over the past three days. This paper presented him with a problem. Problems always got out of the way for him; but this one sat stubbornly in front of him. Scowling, he put the paper down and considered the little group of people he had been able to summon in just several hours; Aomine and Kise, looking beside themselves with anxiety and anger. Muraskakibara just sat there, as indifferent as ever but without his snacks, saying to anyone who knew the teen well, how attentive and irritable he really was. _  
I don't like this one bit._

"What is this problem, Akashi?" Aomine growled, his hand twitching compulsively. "Just tell us already, I had to throw Satsuki off my tail, and that's really hard and troublesome."

"I'd rather not explain the situation twice," Akashi explained, drumming his fingers thoughtfully on his thigh. "Let's wait for Midorima to arrive."

Aomine grunted and helped himself to a cookie from the tray of refreshments the maids of the house had laid out for them. At first, the three had seemed surprised at the interior of Akashi's house: the ceilings high with complicated swirls worked into the paint, the walls painted in royal-like colors, the floors a glossy oaken color. Even the living room they sat in was extravagantly decorated. Akashi glanced at his watch; he'd sent the summons to Midorima about two hours ago. If Midorima had been decisive, he should be here in...

"Pardon the intrusion."

Every pair of eyes turned to the door as the ace shooter stepped in the room. Then his shorter, more nonsensical partner followed, looking around the room with a stupor in his eyes.

"Dang, this place is fancy," he breathed. Akashi glared at Takao and then turned to Midorima for an explanation.

"I hope he's not a problem," Midorima said.

"You told him?"

"Well, yes," Midorima answered uneasily. "I hope..."

"Then it's not a problem," Akashi cut across, beckoning for the two to sit down. They did, another silence stretching out in which Akashi wondered how to state the problem at present. He looked down at the papers as if it would provide him with an answer then exhaled slowly.

"My original plan was to sabotage Kuroko's parents," Akashi explained, biting his lip. "Since it would be a terrible idea to just go and perambulate around their front yard..." (At this, Takao and Midorima flinched but didn't interrupt in fear for their lives.) "...destroying their lives in the fabricated nonsense of society would certainly bring down the hammer a lot harder than a bunch of teenagers' feelings. However, Kuroko's parents don't have jobs." Akashi laid down the papers he had been looking over on the table at which everyone else leaned in to read what was on it. "They trade in the Japanese underground market."

Silence. Then...

"What?!"

Aomine grabbed the paper, his eyes scanning the text furiously. "'Hikage and Hanako Kuroko are known for their trade in the underground black market, specifically helping along the movement of illegal objects from foreign countries...' You had Satsuki look all of this up?!" Aomine finished, his tone more nervous than angry.

"Momoi wouldn't have been able to find this information online so easily," Akashi said. "The more gruesome part of the research was done by me. I decided to spare Momoi the tragedy of Kuroko's abusive parents, considering her feelings for him."

"Don't underestimate Satsuki and a laptop," Aomine muttered. "Honestly, her research skills make her something like a sixth man in Too." Then he laid back and stared at Akashi with his normal arrogant air. With all eyes on him he said, "So?"

"So what?"

"So why is this a problem for you, Akashi?" Aomine growled. "Aren't you the heir to some super important family? Why can't you just use that authority and take down Kuroko's parents like that?"

"Are you an idiot, Aomine?" Akashi asked with equal venomousness. He got up agitatedly and begun pacing around the room, his eyes looking around menacingly. "I can only use my influence if Kuroko's parents got their income from a normal job. But now that we know they trade in the underground, I can't step in. This is a case for the police, but as I said, and as I'm sure all of you want, I don't want the police barging in. It's like..." Akashi stopped pacing and stared at a painting on the wall opposite of his friends. "...the one thing I can do for Kuroko. After all that I..."

"I can't believe that Kurokocchi's parents work in the black market," Kise said, cutting across Akashi. "If you think about, isn't that super stressing to him? Like," Kise said hurriedly as everyone stared at him weirdly. "Kurokocchi's parents must want him to be super secretive about it, so what if it like...I don't know, affected Kurokocchi's personality?"

Kise quelled under the death glared Aomine and Akashi gave to him, the temperature in the room dropping dramatically.

"Don't you even suggest something like that," Akashi snarled. "Kuroko...Kuroko never hid anything from us!"

"Akashicchi, you know that's not true," Kise said quietly. "Look at this, for example." Kise picked up another paper of research and quickly read through it. "Did anyone know that Kurokocchi's father is a foreigner? How many more things do you think Kurokocchi kept from us?"

Nothing was said for the longest time yet. Akashi and Aomine glared in opposite directions, their thoughts incredibly similar and the memories that were triggered almost linear. Then Midorima cleared his throat and said, "Why don't we just ask Kuroko? What do you think, Takao?"

"Eh?" Takao started, jumping at being so suddenly addressed. "Well...this is far beyond my boundaries of experience, so I really don't know...did you guys ever ask Kuroko?"

Akashi swallowed inaudibly, and shook his head. Takao stood up and clapped his hand together.

"Well, it's settled then!" he said cheerfully. "We should ask Kuroko for his opinion before we make any irrational decisions. Hey Akashi-kun," Takao said, cocking his head towards the redhead. "Can I go check out the town? Neh, Shin-chan! Come with me!"

"What?" Midorima barely managed to get out before Takao dragged him out of the room without waiting for Akashi's assent. In normal circumstances, this would have resulted in a fatal end for the point guard, however, Akashi didn't do anything. It seemed like he hadn't been paying attention to the conversation ever since Kise had last spoken.

 _What else has Kuroko kept from us?_

There was a whole barrage of things relating to Kuroko that still had no answer or reason behind it. How come he'd never paid attention to Kuroko's long absence from Teiko after the championship game? If he recalled correctly, not even the teachers said anything about the shadow's disappearance. Either they never knew Kuroko existed in the first place, or the reason for Kuroko's absence was so severe...

 _What else? What else am I missing?_

"Oi, Akashi."

Akashi gave a start, having been lost in his own thoughts for so long that Kise and Murasakibara had also left the room, leaving him alone with Aomine whose expression was unreadable.

"What is it, Aomine?" Akashi sighed. "Please make this quick, I don't need anything else on my mind. This situation has gone so far out of my control."

"And that's just the thing," Aomine growled, slouching back and staring at the smaller teen with burning eyes. "Why do you care so much? Why do you care so much that this situation is handled by just you, by just you and nobody else?"

"What?" Akashi asked, his voice choked at the suddenness and honesty of the question. "Why would you ask that? Isn't it clear that I just want to help my friend?"

"Of course that's clear. But just saying," Aomine said and strode over to Akashi so that their toes were almost touching. "You aren't the only one in this room who has regrets concerning Tetsu."

It took a moment for this to fully sink in. Akashi felt like he had been slapped out of his little world with concerns of only saving Kuroko, helping Kuroko, fixing his broken relationship with Kuroko. He was being selfish; here in front of him stood the first person to take interest into the shadow. Slowly, the hilarity of his own stupidity sank in and Akashi couldn't help but laugh.

"Takao is better than me, in this respect," Akashi finally said. "He took into consideration what Kuroko would have wanted, not his own needs."

"Can't blame yourself for that," Aomine said awkwardly, not having aimed for his statement to turn into a conversation with his former captain. "Takao wasn't there back then."

"But Momoi was," Akashi said suddenly. "And she deserves to know as much as everyone else does."

"There you go," Aomine said, smiling. "How soon do you think we can get to Tokyo from here?"

"With my connections and influence, most likely and hour," Akashi said, doing a quick number crunch in his head. "Will that be sufficient?"

"I've had to wait three days, Akashi," Aomine said, turning towards the door. "Another hour isn't going to kill me."

Akashi nodded and followed Aomine through the door, his heart and conscious a thousand times lighter than it had been for the last three days. Akashi wondered why he felt so optimistic; there wasn't much for him to be happy about at present. He then realized the absence of the rest of the GoM.

"I wonder where the others went," Akashi muttered. Aomine rolled his eyes.

"Where you seriously that spaced out?" Aomine sighed. "They all went out into Kyoto. We all did come here during our own freetime, it's the least we deserve."

"I apologize," Akashi said. "Once we can contact Kuroko, I will no longer take up any of your time."

Aomine shrugged as Akashi took out his phone and clicked on Kuroko's contact. It began to ring and again Akashi felt a sense of importance flood through him.

"Let's fix this," Akashi muttered and the phone continued to ring.

And ring.

And ring.

"What the-?" Akashi said as the phone rang for the upteenth time. He was just about to hang up when finally, someone picked it up. But it wasn't Kuroko.

"Akashi?!" Kagami gasped into the phone, his breath coming up in short gasps. Akashi put the phone on speaker for Aomine to hear and said, "Kagami? Why do you have Kuroko's phone?"

"Shit shit shit what the _hell...?_ " Kagami groaned. "Oh my god, Akashi, Kuroko's... _dying._ "

"WHAT?!" Aomine and Akashi roared at the same time. "What do you mean by that, Kagami?!"

"He just suddenly dropped while we were having lunch," Kagami said hurridly, his breathing getting more rapid with every word he spoke. "He's been screaming bloody murder and scratching at his eye..."

"Scratching at his eye?" Akashi repeated, and ominous feeling draping over him although he wasn't entirely sure why. "Have you been able to make out any of the words he was screaming?"

"Only one," Kagami breathed. "Keeps moaning, 'hurt' or 'don't want to'..."

"Thank you Kagami," Akashi said abruptly and hung up, a cold dread filling his body and canceling out any other emotion except fear and guilt. He turned to a bewildered Aomine. "You're in luck, Aomine. Under our present conditions, we should be able to reach Tokyo in less than forty-five minutes."

"What do you think's happening to Tetsu?" Aomine asked, following Akashi as the redhead burst out into the foyer of his mansion. Akashi bit his lip and strode forward, only more determinedly.

* * *

 _"Dissociative Identity Disorder?"_

 _A few weeks after the Winter Cup, Akashi decided to put a name onto the mental instability he'd been wrestling with for the past five years. It had been very easy research; he had been able to find the name, a list of symptoms, and the diagnosis on a public search engine. Every symptom the website listed corresponded accurately to what he'd been going through. His other self was an effect of dissociative identity disorder, or multiple personality disorder, as the website said._

 _"'DID happens when an individual wants to escape his or her reality, creating a second or multiple personalities, distinctly different from the first...'" Akashi sighed and shook his head. "I guess I should apologize to everyone who had to deal with my second personality."_

 _As he closed out of the webpage, a thought struck Akashi. He wasn't the only person he knew who had to struggle with a terrible reality or circmstance, but those people did not have any mental disorders that he knew of. Pushing the laptop away, Akashi lay on his bed, pondering the difference in mental strength that would make him inferior to his friends. And where their breaking points were._

 _"Similar to a basketball game," Akashi muttered. "Except, you don't lose the game. You lose your sanity."_

I am grateful that I have teammates who helped me win my game.

* * *

"We should have gone to Kuroko first," Akashi muttered. "I shouldn't have been so selfish. Now Kuroko suffering the consequences of my actions. _Shit,_ this can't be happening..."

" _What?_ " Aomine said, almost shouting. "What's going on, Akashi?!"

"No matter how strong Kuroko's mental state is, there is always a breaking point and I think..." Akashi's voice cracked as he kicked the door open in anger at himself. "Kuroko's reached that point. Maybe even to the point where..." Akashi couldn't bring himself to say it; the consequence of his negligence seemed to horrific to be true. He recalled the horror of watching his other personality run his body and make all others fall into subordination. And that second personality denied everything that made Akashi himself, all the memories, team play, his friends, his mother. Only when that second personality started to lose did Akashi rise back to the top. But the circumstance for that happening was only one in a million.

For Kuroko...

...was it too late?

 _"What, Akashi?!"_

"To the point where Kuroko will split."

* * *

 **I'm sick guys and I'm finishing this at 11:16, so forgive me for the crappy and fast dialogue. I promise the next chapter will be slightly better.**

 **And I also want to make clear of the stories I'm working on. I've been updating this one more quickly than others, so if it seems like I've discontinued a story, don't worry I didn't. 'We Can't Afford To Lose' is still alive, but I just want to work on this one. 'To Myself in Ten Years-or Not!' is also continuing. I just watched 'Boku Dake ga Inai Machi' so SO MANY IDEAS.**

 **-Joy Goldenpine**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yoi the first compilation film just came out! THE HYPE FOR EXTRA GAME LIVES ON.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It was almost like staring at a corpse of his friend.

 _No, Taiga!_ Kagami shook his head forcefully and banished the thought from his head. He didn't need that right now. He didn't need his head to remind him how eerily similar Kuroko's thin body, palid from hunger and the tremendous fever he'd developed, was to that of a carcass...

 _No!_

"How's his condition now, Kagami?" Akashi's voice demanded from Kuroko's phone. Apparently, Akashi and the rest of the GoM (plus Takao, for whatever reason) were heading to Tokyo as fast as they could. Still not fast enough for Kagami. Every second he had to hear Kuroko's shallow breathing was like a year off of his life span.

"Still the same," Kagami said, mustering all the calmness he could into his voice. He put the back of his hand on Kuroko's chest like he was testing for a fire; Kagami's cold skin burned against the fever-heated chest. "I think the fever may have gone up."

"That's not the same, Kagami!" Akashi barked. Kagami understood that under present circumstances, anyone would be stressed. However, Akashi's excessive edginess seemed a little too much to Kagami. He certainly didn't need anyone else's stress when his own stress levels were somewhere near the moon.

"Akashi, what-?"

"Has he ever woken up?" Akashi asked urgently. "Kagami, does he look normal?"

"How the hell would he look normal?" Kagami snapped, anxiety finally getting the better of him. "He's only just stopped screaming, but it's not like he's totally fine!"

"...Sorry, Kagami," Akashi sighed. Kagami was taken aback; since when did Akashi apologize to anyone? But before he could inquire further, Kuroko started screaming again and he hung up on Akashi, not wanting anything to distract him from his friend.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Kuroko screeched, his body convulsing so violently Kagami had to lunge out and catch him before he fell off the couch. "AAAAAAHHH...help...I. DON'T. WANT. TO! AAAAA..." He clutched at his head like a fire only he could see was ripping the skin from his face. Kagami didn't understand how they had gotten into this situation. He woke up, went to the living room to wake Kuroko from the couch where he slept, and then they ate breakfast. They had planned to watch the NBA game later that afternoon. Kagami had turned on the TV as Kuroko left to get his phone, when the screaming started. And they were here, an hour later, Kagami attending his friend like a nurse who barely had any degree in medicine.

"Kuroko...! Shit..." Kuroko's hand whipped around and nearly caught Kagami in the face. Kagami was about to call Akashi again to report the newest change in Kuroko's behavior, when the screaming stopped as abruptly as it had started. Kagami turned Kuroko's body over so that he could see his face and was surprised to see that Kuroko was awake, even though his eyes were still half-closed and bleary looking. "Kuroko! Are you-? What-?"

For a moment, Kuroko's eyes traveled over Kagami's face, the blurriness in his eyes uncertain and almost scared, like he didn't recognize the face of his closest friend. Kagami willed his hands to stop shaking and gripped both of Kuroko's shoulder reassuringly. "Ka...mi-kun," Kuroko barely managed to choke out. He squeezed his eyes shut like he was in pain and then opened them again with a smile. "I...don't like it when you're indecisive."

"What the hell are you saying?" Kagami moaned disbelievingly and, despite of himself, began to laugh. Even though it had only been a short period of time, Kagami felt like he had aged an unbelievable amount of time. Now it seemed like there wasn't anything wrong with Kuroko and it all seemed extremely anti-climatic, like the second time they had gone against Shuutoku. "Damn you, you idiot," Kagami said as his laughter died down. "I thought you'd died."

"I-what?" Kuroko eyes suddenly shot open, his pupils almost trembling and the skin around his eyes taut with fear. Kagami was taken aback by the sudden change in mood, remembering very distinctly the match against Kirisaki Daiichi. "Kagami-kun, where is my phone?"

"It's right here," Kagami said slowly, holding up the blue phone he had been unconsciously holding tightly in his hand. "Why do you-?" He was cut off as Kuroko's hand shot out and snatched the phone away, his fingers making fast work of the keys until he found whatever it was he was looking for and all motion in the boy stopped. Kagami, who was starting to get annoyed and worried about all the instant changes in his friend's behavior, started to ask what was the matter. Then the phone dropped to the ground and Kuroko's body became tense, his hands shooting to his right eye and his breathing rapid once more.

"Shit..." Kuroko breathed. "No...I did not do that..."

"Didn't do what?!" Kagami asked, alarmed. He made for the phone but Kuroko snatched it away, the fear evident in his eyes. Kagami was starting to get frustrated again. "Fuck, Kuroko, what did you do?"

"Kagami-kun, please," Kuroko said urgently. "I've got to go _now_."

"Wha-?"

"I appreciate you're trying to help me!" Kuroko yelled, closing his eyes, refusing to face Kagami. "But I can't let you do it if you're going to get harmed as well..."

"How am I going to get harmed?" Kagami asked, Kuroko's ambiguity making him want to scream. "Kuroko..."

The boy's head snapped up, both eyes open. Kagami thought the right one looked a little strange, paler than the left one.

"My parents..."

The partners jumped in unison as someone started banging aggressively on the door. Kagami scrambled to his feet, relief making his legs unstable and shaky. Finally Akashi and the others had arrived, taking the burden of watching his friend agonize physically, mentally, and emotionally off his shoulders.

"Kagami-kun, wa-!"

Kagami ignored Kuroko's desperate pleas as he gripped the door knob gratefully. Not only him, but Kuroko as well. Kuroko needed more moral support than he could provide.

"Akash-!"

Kagami froze and had the briefest glimpse of a short man whose appearance was remarkably close to Kuroko's before a current of electricity paralyzed his body and made him drop with a painful crash on the floor.

"Ara? Is this the much celebrated Kagami-kun?"

Vision blurred around the edges, Kagami could barely see the two silhouettes that had attacked him. One was crouched near his face and the smell of stale cigarettes overwhelmed Kagami. His immediate impression was that of a villain, someone who would stand shadily in the darkness of an alleyway to deal drugs.

"Damn, he's a cutie all right, isn't he?" a seductive voice cooed and the second figure bent down. A dry cold finger traced Kagami's jawline teasingly. "He's American, isn't he? I can tell. Those Americans can fuck damn good. Betcha he's better without his pants on."

Kagami wanted to puke. The way the woman was handling him reminded him of Alex, except the finger didn't hold his mentor's gentle love and the words coming from the heavily colored lips were utterly disgusting. The dagger-like nails belonged to the woman Kuroko called mother. Kagami was breathing heavily, trying not to let the vile out of his throat; how in the fucking world was this tramp related to Kuroko?

"Don't go hitting on our son's friend, Hanako," the man snapped, slapping the woman's finger away. "We're here to get our son, remember?"

"Hm? Oh, but I'd much rather have this hunk as a son," Hanako purred. "Much better in physique than that weakling."

 _Weak?!_

"Don...call Kuro-ko...weak..." Kagami managed to gasp, his hand twitching to wrap around the woman's throat. Hanako laughed, which was more like a hyena's squeal.

"Aw, shuddup," she snorted, shoving her heel into Kagami's mouth, making him gag. "At least Tetsuya-chan can keep his damn trap hole shut." She slid out of her shoe and lead her husband into the apartment. A horrifying silence enveloped Kagami in which he could hear his heartbeat, loud and clear. This was what Kuroko had been trying to warn him about. And he hadn't listened and now Kuroko was in danger...

 _Oh my God, Kuroko, run. Fucking run, the people who are coming after you are monsters..._

"Tetsuya-chan! We've come to get you! You don't have to hide behind your friends anymore, I'll take care of you tonight..."

 _Please, run. Jump onto the fire escape, call anyone, just **run**_ **...**

"Where the hell are you, you ungrateful brat?"

It was so surreal. These two adults felt like something that had crawled out of a horror movie and into real life. Kagami's hands were shaking, which he hoped meant that they would be usable, along with the rest of his body, in time to save his shadow.

"Shit..." Kagami groaned. " _Move..._ "

"GO AWAY!"

Kuroko's scream was something more unreal than these adults, than the whole situation. It just seemed impossible for the calm boy to let out such an emotion-filled extension of his voice. Anyone who could make Kuroko scream like that...

...terrifying.

"Put that knife down, Tetsuya-chan!"

Horrible pictures were forming in Kagami's mind. Kuroko, the most gentle person he knew, brandishing a knife at his parents, one an indulgent slut and the other with the scent of a drug dealer. Only because it were those two, Kagami hoped that the knife ended up embedded in one of the adults bodies.

"NO! YOU GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT YOU ANYWHERE NEAR ME!"

"Oh? Is that so? That's not what this text here says, Tetsuya."

Freaking out about something on the phone...Kuroko had been disturbed by something he had done on the phone. Kagami threw his body forward and hoped that the screams would drown out the loud thumps his body made on the floor. He needed to see what was on that phone...

"I...That wasn't me..."

"Then why does it say your contact on the text? Put the knife down, Tetsuya..."

"NO!"

Kagami made it past the hallway and slowly crawled towards the phone laying open on the floor near the couch, hoping that Kuroko's parents' fear of the weapon in their son's hands would buy him enough time. With a weak arm, he tapped his way into the text history.

 ** _Mother, father, I am at Kagami-kun's apartment. Please come and get me._**

 ** _-Tetsuya_**

"Tetsuya-chan, we're your parents! We love you so much, you know?"

"Don't you know how worried you made your old mother and father, Tetsuya? We were so worried about you. We love you, Tetsuya."

"Tetsuya-chan~ My baby boy, I love you."

"...No..."

Kagami dropped the phone, stunned. Kuroko had sent this? Why? He had agreed to staying with him, away from his parents, agreed that what his parents were doing was wrong, and yet...this text...

"Tetsuya, we love you so much."

"...f-father..."

"Tetsuya-chan, come back home."

"...n-no..."

"Oh, Tetsuya-chan, don't break your poor mother's heart anymore. Come home. We love you so much~"

"...y-yes mother..."

A sharp clatter. Then footsteps. Kagami was smart enough to slide Kuroko's phone underneath the couch, but he couldn't deny to Kuroko's parents that the feeling was coming back into the body, and the fact that he was now several yards from where he been laying. Hanako knelt by Kagami again and smiled, giving off an aura of poisoned honey.

"You persistent little idiot," she sniffed. "Thanks for taking the brat off our hands, no really, thank you. And don't bother looking for us." Hanako stood up and joined her husband whose arm was draped around Kuroko's shoulder. The boy himself has a glazed look in his eyes, the livened gleam Seirin had worked into his gaze completely gone. Kuroko bowed like a robot.

"I'm sorry for taking up your time, Kagami-san," Kuroko said, his voice dead. "I'll be going now."

"N-No!" Kagami gasped, pushing his upper body off the floor. "K-Kuroko wh-what are y-you doing?"

"I'm sorry." Tears were rolling down Kuroko's cheek. They dropped, shining like diamonds and shattering like glass on the floor before his father steered him towards the door. Hanako let her honeyed smile drop and a more fitting snarl took up her face.

"What did I tell you before?" she growled. "Shuddup!"

WHAM.

* * *

 **Sorry, this update took so long to come out, I started a new story in the middle of writing this update, so it is my fault for not being able to manage my time well. Also for having no ideas.**

 **Anyway, hope everyone had a Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate, no prejudice here) and best wishes in the New Year (as I will most likely not update in the next two days or so).**

 **See ya next year!**

 **-Joy Goldenpine**


	9. Chapter 9

"Dammit! He won't pick up!"

Akashi smashed the keys of his phone, dialing Kagami's number again even though he knew, like the last ten frantic failed phone calls, the other redhead wouldn't pick up. The ringing went back to voicemail and Akashi gave up, shoving his phone in his back pocket, doing all of this while sprinting from the train station to Kagami's apartment in Tokyo alongside the other Generation of Miracles.

"Why won't Kagamicchi pick up?" Kise moaned, more to himself than asking an actual question. "You don't think-?"

"I refuse to think about it!" Akashi snapped, pulling to a complete halt the would have been impossible had he not been a basketball player. They had reached Kagami's apartment complex, familiar to them for the one time they had been there, to celebrate Kuroko's birthday. All seemed so long ago as Akashi took of sprinting again, kicking the door down. If his suspicions were correct, which they tended to be, Kuroko was in peril.

"Oi, Akashi!" Aomine barked. "What do you think's wrong with Tetsu?"

"No time to explain fully," Akashi yelled back. "But in short, Kuroko's in danger of himself."

"Wha-?"

"It occurred to me how stressful it would be having your parents in the underground market," Akashi said, laying out his train of thought for everyone to follow. "For me, it was having to deal with more pressure than most adults go through in their entire life. If my intuition is correct..."

But Akashi's words died in his mouth as he found himself staring at what should have been the closed door to Kagami's apartment. Instead, it lay ajar, no lights on from the inside. His heart sprang to his throat and blood rushed to his ears. Foreboding weighed down on his shoulders, making his feet immobile, but what could have possibly happened in the hour it took them to get here?

In forty minutes, Kuroko can save me.

"C-Come on," Akashi said, taking a shaky breath and stepped toward the door.

It was completely dark inside the vast apartment, the shadows nipping at Akashi's feet like mice. It took a considerable amount of willpower to step forth into the apartment. Akashi hated it, but he was afraid, perhaps for the first time since the Winter Cup, of what was inside.

Inside, everything was bathed in a cold grey, the sun having gone behind the clouds even though it was late April. Kagami's and Kuroko's shoes were paired neatly next to the door which should have come as a reprieve. However, where were their owners?

"Kagami?" Akashi called into the apartment. A horrible silence responded. His heartbeat was terribly loud in his ears and as he called out, "Kuroko?" he may not have been able to hear the reply if anyone had actually responded.

"What the hell?" Aomine breathed and walked agitatedly further into the apartment. The few moments of silence that followed his outburst seemed to crush further on Akashi. He couldn't help but agonize on what he could have done, on what he should've done the moment he had heard his friend was being abused. Perhaps they wouldn't be in this situation right now. He had been too proud, and the last time he had let his pride rule him he destroyed Kuroko.

Split him...

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Aomine's yell broke the spell and everyone else spilled forth into the main living space where they found Aomine crouched next to an unconscious body, a bloody scrape running from his right temple down to his cheek. Staring down at Kagami's form, Akashi felt something inside of him snap. This wasn't right and something had to be done.

He should have stayed.

He should have stopped himself.

He should have stopped Kuroko from leaving.

So many memory fragments tore at his head, ones that were his and ones that he had seen as though through a TV screen when they had happened. Was this happening to Kuroko as well? So much pain, so much that he'd rather not deal with.

"I will no longer run away."

"Ryo-Kise," Akashi muttered, his mind finally flowing smoothly and attaching a plan for him. "Search the rest of the apartment for Kuroko. Daiki, I need a cup of water."

Kise and Aomine nodded grimly, the former heading for the second hallway calling out Kuroko's name while the later scrambled for the kitchen. Both reappeared at the same time, Kise's demeanor expressively telling Akashi Kuroko was no where to be found. Their only clue as to where their friend could possibly be was lying on the floor.

"Wake up," Akashi commanded and spilled the contents of the glass onto Kagami's face with a sharp splash. Immediately, the ace's eyes snapped open and his upper body shot forward, his legs nearly following but giving out so that he flipped face first onto the floor.

"Kuro-?!" Kagami gasped, spinning around as if he were expected some monster to be looming behind him. Akashi leaned forward and shook his head.

"Kagami, Kuroko isn't here."

"Wha-?" Kagami began to say before his eyes narrowed and his entire expressing turned from afraid to boiling anger, baffling Akashi. "Dammit, Akashi! Why weren't you here a few minutes ago? Kuroko's gone! He's fucking gone!"

"Kagami, please," Akashi said evenly, watching Kagami's angry face. "Being upset with what could have happened won't happen now. I should have contacted the authorities the moment we knew Kuroko was being abused. Right now..." Akashi took a deep breath and stood up commandingly. "...we need to keep moving forward for Kuroko's sake. Now please, tell us what happened."

Kagami screwed his face lie someone had poured vinegar down his throat but shifted himself heavily against the wall and stared at Akashi. Aomine frowned and Akashi knew why he did: why was Kagami dragging his body around like that?

"So?" Akashi asked, gesturing for everyone else to sit down around him. They did, Murasakibara folding his long limbs awkwardly and all waited agitatedly for what would come next. "What happened? Where's Kuroko?"

Kagami's grimaced, although it seemed like he was more angry at himself than Akashi now. Then he growled, "Kuroko's parents came here and took him."

"WHAT?!" The affect was immediate. Everyone seemed to want to say something, so Akashi held his hand up for silence. He himself had been expecting something like this to have happened, but still it felt like someone had dragged the world from under his feet.

"Let Kagami talk," Akashi said, craving the rest of the story. "Go ahead then, Kagami."

"They knocked on the door like they were just picking their son up from a play date or something. I thought it was you guys!" Kagami added defensively. Akashi nodded; he didn't blame Kagami for what had happened, he just needed more. He needed to know. "Then the dad stunned me with a taser. The mom, the fucking tramp, said some really disgusting things. I can't believe Kuroko comes from those people, it's just impossible."

"So then? What happened?"

"They went into the kitchen where Kuroko was, I think he had a knife. Then they started coaxing him to come with them."

"As if Kurokocchi would listen to them!" Kise burst out, his eyes wide with horror. Kagami shook his head jaggedly.

"At first he kept denying their offers," Kagami said, squeezing his fist. "But then...Kuroko's father pulled out his phone I guess and showed Kuroko something on it and he went berserk. I heard him drop the knife. Kuroko agreed to leave with them after that."

Akashi stared at his hands, mind racing with this new information. One more...he needed one more confirmation...

"Kagami, relay to me the events that happened the first day Kuroko started staying with you." He could feel everyone's eyes on him, but he ignored them. He would share with them his thoughts once he was sure. Absolutely sure.

"Why?"

"I have a nagging suspicion...and by telling me the things that have passed without us knowing, it'll help me confirm this suspicion I have."

"Well," Kagami started, biting his lip, clearly thinking hard. "I got Kuroko to stay at my place, but then I noticed that there were these ugly scars under his chin. Right around here," Kagami pointed at the skin directly under his jaw.

"I've never seen those scars," Aomine said, tapping his fingers impatiently.

"I'd never seen them either, but the idiot wouldn't tell me what they were from and why he had them, so I let it slide for a bit," Kagami continued.

"I bet my left eye his parents gave him those scars," Akashi muttered, more to himself than to anyone. But Kagami still caught it and responded accordingly.

"Those adults are so disgusting, it honestly wouldn't surprise me," Kagami snarled. Akashi leapt to his feet and paced around, his legs and feet prickling as blood rushed back into them. Kuroko had lied to his team about the scars...he didn't want to tell them about his parents' abuse...he was protecting his abusive parents...

And when his father had showed Kuroko the thing on the phone, he had changed his mind so willingly...Why would Kuroko's parents come to get him after it had been longer than a day since Kuroko had disappeared from their house?

"Kagami," Akashi mused. "Do you happen to know what was on Kuroko's phone?"

"I saved it," Kagami said, crawling to his couch and producing Kuroko's blue phone from underneath. "It's in the texts."

Akashi nodded and took the phone, opening the text messages. He didn't have to scroll far to find the text message. And what he found confirmed his worse suspicions. Everything was so much worse.

"Shit," Akashi breathed. "I was right..."

"Akashi, you were saying something on the way here," Aomine prompted, standing up and approaching the smaller teen. "Spill. What's wrong with Kuroko?"

Akashi glanced over at Kagami and sighed. Now that he was sure, he wasn't sure if he wanted to trouble everyone else with the information. If anyone were to use this information to the best, it was him.

No. They were all working to help Kuroko. Working to now save him from his parents and himself.

"Kagami, I never told you," Akashi said. "Kuroko's parents work for the Japanese Underground Market."

"Oi, Akashi!" Kagami yelled, more surprised than indignant. "You've gotta tell me these things!"

"More importantly, about what I was saying earlier," Akashi said, brushing Kagami's outburst aside. "Kagami, we can talk later, but it seems like we're dealing with two Kuroko Tetsuyas here."

Silence. Akashi took the few moments to slip Kuroko's phone into his pocket and then Aomine's stutter: "Wh-What?"

"Using myself as an example, I have two personalities," Akashi said, holding up two fingers. "My true self, and the other one who holds everyone subservient to himself. This was a result of the pressure my father put on me while I struggled with grief for my mother. For Kuroko, it seems like dealing with his abusive parents and the burden of carrying their secret into his life created another personality that wishes to protect his parents at all cost, no matter how abusive they get.

"Kuroko's split," Akashi summed up. Hearing himself say it out loud made it real and impossible at the same time.

Kuroko...

...who had shed tears and blood for his friends...

...split.


	10. Chapter 10

_Split..._

 _SPLIT..._

Kagami was aware of sounds going on around him, but it hardly registered in him as actual conversation. Those words...those words that had just come out of Akashi mouth...they couldn't possibly be true, right? Because he _knew_ Kuroko, daresay better than anyone else did, and he'd notice, he'd at least _freaking_ notice if Kuroko had a mental disorder or whatever. Kuroko was _his_ shadow.

He wanted to kill something. Preferably Kuroko's parents. The spot where Kuroko's slut-of-a-mom had kicked him still stung, and the disgustingly sweet tone she had adopted while talking to Kuroko had engraved itself in his mind and until he did something to make sure she never spoke again...

And he didn't want to know what Kuroko's dad was like. He had just stood there and helped when Kuroko's mom was struggling. It was like staring at a spider. Small, yet somehow emitting an aura of poison. If what Akashi said was true, these people traded in the Japanese Underground. Somehow, Kuroko was related to them. Quiet, rational Kuroko.

"With the change in circumstance, I would like to change a few other conditions on which we have been performing on," Akashi said, breaking Kagami out of his train of thought. Everyone stared at Akashi as he bit his lower lip ponderingly. "First of all, if anything from hereon out goes wrong, don't come to me. Contact the authorities. Perhaps I should have done something like that in the first place. Perhaps if I did...this would never have happened."

Kagami felt like the silence after this statement was meant for his response. He was the one who was slightly out of everything, he was the one who had the right to call out and question Akashi for the decisions he had made. But strangely, in all the emotion that was coursing in him, anger was not one directed toward Akashi. Deep inside, he was pretty sure he would've made the same decisions in Akashi's place.

"And secondly," Akashi went on, exhaling slowly like he were bracing for something horrible. "If anyone would like to stop in this pursuit, I won't stop you."

Everyone stared at Akashi, completely baffled. Kagami observed Akashi, wondering just what exactly was going through the other redhead's mind. Akashi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking much older than his true age. Kagami understood where Akashi was coming from though, just a little bit. Through the glass doors of his apartment, the light streaming in was taking on a golden hue. Although he would never admit it, fatigue was starting to weigh down on him. Physically, even though they were considered the best athletes in the high school realm, they would get tired.

"I realized that the direction we're going in now, it'll be extremely dangerous," Akashi explained, articulating every word so that nothing was unheard. "What Kuroko's parents did to Kagami...what if that's not the worst they can do? What if the next time we encounter them, it's not tasers but guns? And right now, I want to be going at the maximum possible speed to ensure Kuroko's safety. Rushing from Kyoto to Tokyo is exhausting and there may be times where we have to move from location to location at such a speed. If anyone feels like they won't be able to keep up, then please leave."

Kagami looked away, frowning. He didn't care if the others wanted to give up or if he would get exhausted along the way. It wasn't true, but since Kuroko had been taken from his hands, he felt like it was his responsibility to bring him back to them. And what would Kuroko do? At the moment, Kagami didn't feel like he knew all too much about his best friend, but if it were Kagami that were gone, he knew Kuroko would kill until he were back. That much, that much he could be positive on.

He stretched out his legs and was glad to find they didn't feel like leaden weights anymore. The taser had hurt, the same feeling as being shocked by a statically charged piece of metal, except a thousand times stronger. What really hurt the most, however, wasn't the physical pain; it was the inability to do anything in the state of paralysis.

"So what do you plan on doing next?" Kagami asked, his voice frightfully grim.

Akashi bit his lip and pulled out his phone, quickly typing something on his phone. Then, pocketing it again, he started for the door.

"I'll leave you all to make your decision."

The rest began to speak for the first time, a mix of incoherent speech which simply made Kagami's head ache. Now that he thought about it, something didn't feel right in Akashi's reasoning. Especially for Aomine and Kise, they wouldn't care about the dangers involved, they'd go in without a second thought. With that doubt in mind, Kagami didn't even wait for Akashi to reach the door; he was up and following the other redhead immediately. Disregarding his uncertainty with Akashi's leading, the fact that Kuroko was no longer in his apartment made the place seem cold and unwelcoming. Kagami knew the next time he came back, it would have to be with his shadow back at his side.

"Oi, Akashi," Kagami said forcefully, half a pace behind the shorter teen. They stepped into the hallway and, even though they weren't running, there was such a sense of urgency the fast pace they walked at was frightening. Akashi's back seemed extremely rigid and tense to Kagami and his fists were clenched and trembling. He fell back a little bit cautiously and probed further tentatively: "Akashi, you're planning something."

Akashi didn't answer, merely took the steps down three at a time with amazing agility, fingers furling and unfurling. Kagami's heart was jumping in his throat; he could feel the answer building up in the air and the tension was excruciating. They hit the exit of the apartment complex in complete silence before Akashi stopped at the door and muttered: "Kagami, do you know how it feels like to have two of you in the same body?"

"No..." Kagami said slowly, not expecting anything of this nature. He recalled Midorima saying something about there being two Akashis, back around the Winter Cup, but he never thought much about it. Only now was it anything of importance to Kagami. "So is that what it's like for Kuroko right now?"

"Again, using myself as an example, the second personality springs up as a result of extreme mental stress," Akashi muttered, his grip on the door knob tightening. "Usually to escape some terrible situation, the second personality chooses what the person believes in, what they do, how they interact with others, what they remember. And that's scary." Akashi looked back at Kagami, his eyes wide. "Who knows what Kuroko remembers about both of us?"

Kagami had decided to trust Akashi on whatever he said, but he had a hard time digesting this new bit of disturbing information. The time they first met, their first lost, the time they cleaned out the club room...did Kuroko seriously not remember any of that because of the second personality?

"And Kuroko's parents did all of this?" Kagami asked, amazed at how calm his voice sounded; the turmoil within him was driving him insane. Akashi turned around fully and put his head in his hands, gripping fistfuls of his hair like a mad man, making Kagami step back in surprise, although he suspected it was something more like survival instinct. His breath was coming out in trembling gasps.

"Not only them," Akashi breathed, his body trembling so violently even his pupils were shivering. "Us to. Me. He works so hard and what do I do? All his playing ideals, who he was as a teammate, I just threw it away. And I wasn't just his captain or anything, I was his friend. Just because I wanted to win Kuroko had to suffer in the backlash. And they may have caused his split. No..." Akashi bent over his knees his breathing more erratic than ever. "It was the sole reason. I am sure of it."

Staring down at Akashi, the one who was able to keep his composure even through the worst, Kagami felt like he was watching a lion dying at his own hands. For a moment, he was dumbfounded watching Akashi tremble from suppressed sobs. Then he could feel anger, for what felt like no reason whatsoever.

"Akashi, why are you blaming yourself so much?" Kagami demanded, realizing as he voiced his thoughts that he was upset at the redhead because he thought he had to take the burden of their situation solely upon his shoulders. "Is that why you left everyone behind? Because you want to feel like this is all you fault? So that you can work it all out on your own? Oi, Akashi!" Kagami grabbed Akashi's shoulder and pulled him up so that they could see eye to eye. The skin around Akashi's eyes was blotchy, making it look like he was crying blood. There was no more filter between Kagami's head and mouth; it all came out in one long flow. "Nothing's changed since our previous conditions! Why is it so personal for you? Everyone wants to help Kuroko, this isn't just you who cares!"

Something shiny dripped onto Akashi's shirt. A bewildered second later, Kagami realized that Akashi was crying.

"Everyone cares," Akashi breathed, tears falling from his eyes at an alarming rate. "But who does Kuroko care for? It doesn't matter which one, who does Kuroko care for? Would he come and save me? You're so damn lucky, Kagami," Akashi gasped out, grabbing the front of Kagami's shirt desperately. "Kuroko loves you. You're his light. You're his best friend. It doesn't which one knows you because both of them do. You're just that important. But I left him..." Suddenly Akashi pulled his face a breath width away from Kagami's, tears dripping down the front of his face in small rivulets. Kagami could hear his heart pound for one beat before Akashi screamed, "I LEFT HIM!"

* * *

 _"In the face of overwhelming odds, just combining our strengths won't be enough."_

* * *

"But didn't we all leave him?" Kagami asked, letting his hands drop to his sides. Bitterness and regret. Only those two words could he associate with that day, when they lost to Touou. The tears on Akashi's cheeks annoyed the hell out of Kagami; didn't he know that he wasn't the only one who had things to regret? "And yet, Kuroko came back to save all of us. Dammit, Akashi..." Kagami stepped away and sighed, looking out the door and remembering he had no idea where Akashi wanted to go. "Tell me," Kagami said without facing Akashi; he didn't want to see his face. "Where are we going?"

"Kuroko's house," Akashi muttered, his voice throaty and thick. "It's hidden outside the main city."

Kagami nodded, not altogether too surprised. Where else would Akashi go to find out where Kuroko was? Even though he had mentioned it just before that they would contact the authorities, going to the adults felt like they were forfeiting something important. Their pride, maybe.

No. Their relationship with Kuroko, however uncertain and scary that road seemed. He had lied, he had a mental illness, perhaps caused by his friends, his parents were monsters...They had left him, had taken him for granted, had completely failed to realize Kuroko's condition. He had forgiven them once...

...could he forgive them again?

"Akashi get your shit together and lead," Kagami growled, more venomously than normal. "We have to go fast, remember?"

"Yeah," Akashi sniffed and straightened his back. "Of course."

Their pace doubled, but the physical strenuousness felt good to Kagami. They were doing something. There was a terrible feeling in his stomach that grew more and more with every passing second. He wanted to kill. He wanted to get his shadow back.

He wanted to see Kuroko's smile again.


End file.
